photography

Julie & Evike's Engagement Session

2009-11-16T21:34:00.000-08:00

The Biltmore hotel in downtown LA is gorgeous but I found it difficult to shoot without a vid light or flash. Most of my photos turned out grainy... so, I decided to make this my vintage collection! Not exactly the style I'm trying to develop but I absolutely love the film-esque quality to it.

Evike and Julie was a pleasure to work with. Their love and passion just comes through the photos. Many of the shots were taken while they were just "being themselves" :)

Much love to Evike & Julie.

Experimental Photos

2009-10-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Jackie was such a pleasure to work with. I wanted this set of photos to give off an absurd, illogical impression- something that will cause the audience think twice about the photo- to look at it for 2 seconds longer to ponder it's meaning.

As the photoshoot went on, I began to get these ideas of awkward poses that later translated into some of our "awkward moments" haha. Jackie was very cooperative and went long with each and every one of my requests. We both had to step out of our comfort zone in order to get some of these great shots! Jackie described her experience as "awkward sometimes, but not uncomfortable" :)

Jackie, thanks for being so much fun to work with! YOU ROCK!

Bread & Butter Event 2009 Teaser

2009-10-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

Check out the video here:
http://www.vimeo.com/7289384

Aspiring chef, Alex Kim, and his fabulous crew spent two months preparing and planning for restaurant night "Bread & Butter" hosted at his crib in Fountain Valley. This event was such a grand success! The event involved 3 main chefs, 16 dedicated assistants, and 64 satisfied guests. The set up and decor resembles a romantic, little Italy atmosphere with lights and candles illuminating the outdoor bar and dining area. Alex's backyard was partitioned into two. Around the bar, you'll find a waiting lounge where guests mingled and sipped on their apple martinis (prepared by Tu and other bartenders). In the dining area, tables were set up for parties as little as two to as large as nine.

I was honored to witness the "behind-the-scene" commotion in the kitchen. Waiters and waitresses were scurrying back and forth to take and deliver orders, bring appetizers and beverages, and attend to every guests' needs, just as you'll find at any restaurant! Despite the chaos in the kitchen, waiters and waitresses walked out from behind the curtains with such poise and smiles on their faces! Assistants had to make several runs to the market for ingredients and drinks while the rest of the kitchen was left at work.

I was very impressed by the way the crew handled themselves. They managed to operate with efficiency and resilience under such a high-stress environment. Some didn’t even have a chance to take a breather or eat. The most admirable part for me was that I could feel the passion that drove the determination behind all the hard work- whether it’d be love for the culinary arts, lending a helping hand to a friend, or making a dream come true! Did I mention the 3-course meal was deliiissshhh? I had the French onion soup with salad, braised beef with vegetables (potatoes and asparagus), and tiramisu for dessert. Okay, I had the creme brulee too. Thanks Alex!! A-MAZING JOB guys!! I look forward to your next event!

Here is a teaser until I get the chance to edit the event highlights video. ENJOY!

Hellloooooo 5dm2!!

2009-10-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

I finally purchased the long-awaited 5dm2!! It's by far the most expensive one-time purchase I've ever made but the one that I feel least guilty for! Oh man, the photos are gonna be sick! I can't wait for Saturday's wedding to use it!! **STOKED** :D

Irene & Leshin 10.04.2009

2009-10-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

Experimenting with vignettes, split toning, and tints. Let me know what you think!

Angie & Sean 10.03.2009

2009-10-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

Cammy & Bobby's Wedding

2009-09-23T18:55:00.001-07:00

I was very honored to shoot with Jay on Sunday in Corona and City of Industry. Jay is not only extremely talented and possesses a unique style but he has an awesome rapport with his clients. You can see his professionalism and humble mannerism right away. I feel like that's what contributes to the increased quality of half his work! He was able to calm the nerves and make Cammy feel natural in front of the camera. This just comes to show the importance of really knowing the couple, as a couple rather than just subjects, and being able to use that to capture their best emotions, hence bringing the x-factor into the photos! Although time and pacing didn't allow me to get technical with Jay, I picked up a few things here and there in terms of angle and lighting just from observing. I gotta say I'm happier with this set of photos than I was with the ones from the last wedding.

Here are some of the photos below. You'll notice that I didn't cover group pics or the primary shots because I was the third shooter and was only able to capture the shots from a secondary angle. I shot most of these photos with my kit lens and inside of the cathedral shots with a 50mm. My L lens coming soon!! *fingers-crossed* So look out for more & better photos! :) **happiness**

I was going for the black + white, vintage, film-esque feel in the photos below. Let me know what you think!

And introducing the extremely talented young folks I worked with:

Check out their work at (from left to right): Jay-Hsiang Studio, White Rose Productions, and Photo Kronology

Would I leave teaching to do this...

2009-09-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

When I first started shooting, I remember my dear friend Jenn said to me over the phone, "You know, I've never heard you light up the way you do when you talk about photography!" And from that moment on, I knew my passion was for reals. Despite the lack of credit people give to photographers and others in the creative arts, Jenn has always been so supportive! She is one of the few who encourages me to pursue this field. She says I have natural talent :) Now, you know how much that means when the rest of the world seems to disagree with what you're doing. Even I, sometimes, have doubts in whether photography is a realistic and worthwhile career to pursue. Of course, social expectations play a role in this... "You went to UCLA, got your B.A. and M.A. and you have a great career in teaching... you want to leave all that to become a wedding photographer??!" Sounds crazy and a little insane? Sure, if you don't have a love for it! But... I love teaching, too. Yet, I didn't fall in love with teaching the way I did with photography. My love for teaching was a very gradual process. I came to love teaching after two years with TFA. Photography, on the other hand, I knew. How I actually picked up photography was random but after my first shooting expedition, I knew this was something I wanted to take to the next level.

Not long after, I discovered how cool wedding cinematography is! StillMotion would be the professionals I'd aspire to become! Of course, the discoveries and enlightenment never stops. On that note, researching and buying photo gear is endless as well... and a bank-breaker. sigh.

Now, you know you love something when you DREAM about it...

Work started last week. Two days before I went back into the classroom, I had a nightmare about the first day of school. I was scrambling to get materials ready for class and fighting to find a vacant copying machine. It was like the first day of teaching of my first year all over again. I woke up with tensions in my shoulders and neck. Anxiety? Yes. I guess teachers get first day of school anxiety, too! So, anyway... that's teaching. I'm not a dream-er. Usually, I don't dream or I just don't remember them. Last night, I had another dream. I dreamt that I was shooting a wedding ALL BY MYSELF... going a bit too far with this hobby? I think not. It's awesome! One day this dream will come true :)

So inspired...

2009-08-31T00:37:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered Furious Photographers. They're a really talented group of young photographers. I love the versatility that I find in their work- from traditional, vintage, to contemporary and fashion look of their wedding photography!

Check out their blog: http://www.furiousphotographersblog.com/

I was also introduced to Jay Hsiang Photography. Their style is contemporary and very professional but less "experimental" or "edgy" than Furious Photographers.

Here is their blog: http://jay-studio.blogspot.com/

It's young but absolutely AMAZING photographers like them that inspires and motivates me to improve my craft everyday. I would love to one day be as good and original as them!

2009-08-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

So, last night I paid $20 to listen to a panel discussion on exploring the future of Asian American media as a part of a professional mixer hosted by APEX. It was actually a very interesting discussion because I found myself disagreeing with some of the comments made by the panelists. The panel included: Eric Olander, the VP of News Programming and Production at KSCI TV LA18; Bell Tsou, LA 18's chief entertainment and lifestyle reporter; Phil Yu, the creator and editor of AngryAsianMan.com, an Asian America news/culture blog, Carl Choi, CEO of Plan C Group, Inc. and manager of Far East Movement; and Steve Tao, who served as Senior VP of New Line Television and worked at VH1 as Senior VP of Programming. The panelists discussed the many factors that play a role in the promotion and hindrance of Asian American success in current media. I'm going to focus on Eric and Carl because I feel like they brought up some of the most controversial points.

Eric stated that the Asian American media had consistently failed in their attempt in various media (i.e. television, movies, magazine, etc.) because the word "Asian" is such a problematic term. Unlike Hispanic American or African American who are homogeneous within their subgroups and share commonalities in values, language, etc., "Asians" consists of too many different subgroups that do not share the same culture or language (i.e. Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean), and these Asian subgroups have absolutely nothing in common. So when you're developing a media catered towards "Asian Americans", what the hell does that mean? Who is it really for? AZN magazine failed after several years of publication because it tried to group all Asian ethnicity into one. How do you do that?! Do you write for the Vietnamese and Chinese community only? Then what about the others? The targeted audience was too wide and shared little similarities in interest, culture, and language that AZN was set for failure. I agree with Eric in that "Asian" is a very problematic term and Pan-Asianism does not exist. The only commonality that can unite Pan-Asian is that we're all humans from the Eastern Hemisphere of the world.

Then, Carl talked about how there's three types of Asians: the first generation (typically non-English speakers like our grandmothers or mothers), the second generation of Asians, the ABCs (probably includes some of us), and the third type of Asians- one he calls the 1.5 Asians- who were born in Asia but came to the states when they were young. Carl came to the states when he was 8-years-old and he said that sort of transition was the mainspring of a lot of confusion. You almost develop this middle child syndrome where you don't quite fit in with the complete FOBS, but you're not an ABC either. Carl stated that what sets Asians apart from other ethnicity is our lifestyle and our three selfs- the corporate man, the family man, and the party boy. Our lives are divided by work, family, and our social life. The engineering of our lives is what distinguishes us as "Asian". For example, (speaking from his Korean background), when Carl is at work he is the corporate English-speaking man, when he gets home he announces, "an-niyong-ha-say-yo", with a slight bow, and when he's out drinking and partying... well, he's out drinking and partying! In an attempt to define the term "Asian", he asked, "What do we do when we are in China? Yes, we go out drinking at a pub. What about Hong Kong? Where do your friends take you? Yes, drinking and partying." The point is anywhere you go in Asia, the lifestyle is the same and that's what defines us. I beg to differ. First, lifestyle is not defined by "Asian" or ethnicity but culture. Yes, Koreans would typically practice the Korean culture, the Japanese would practice their Japanese culture, so on and so forth. But since culture and ethnicity are not always tied as one, it's not a sure-fire assumption. In fact, it's unfair to assume that one is Chinese, so s/he must practice a Chinese lifestyle. Lifestyle can be adopted. That leads me to my next point: the drinking and partying behavior that Carl used to illustrate the "Asian lifestyle" is not only prominent in the Asian culture but in many others as well. Drinking and partying at night, no matter where you are, is a pretty universal practice within a certain social class. Europeans (Caucasians, Russians) and Americans (Canadians, Alaskans), probably all do the same thing! So, what sets the Asians apart as "Asians" when they drink and party?

Eric commented that one of the reasons why the Asian Americans have yet to succeed in media is because they lack originality and their work is not representative of the "Asian" ethnicity. He said that too many Asian stars are rapping, like African Americans, and aren't doing anything unique to their culture. There are two problems to this idea: 1) Whatever the technique or culture, it has to carry a quality content (as stated previously in the discussion by Carl). Quality content is relative and very subjective- often culture-based. The audience decides what's popular. So when an up-and-coming Asian artist fails, it may not necessarily be because he sucks, but rather his style is not aligned with what is deemed as popular in here. Or, s/he may just really suck. If you're going to immerse "Asian" music and style into popular "American" music, people will have to like it first! The audience has to be able to relate to the content or has to have a taste for your style! Now, that leads to the second point, which is also from Carl. 2) Korean rapper, Jin, was popular even among the African American community. People recognized him. When Virgin Records, full of Caucasians (not be racists here), decide that the public will like Jin dancing with voluptuous Hispanic/Latino girls in a music video... well, it's no wonder that Jin didn't make it very far into the American media. His first exposure to the American public was neither appealing nor interesting (unique) and it definitely wasn't a just portrayal of Jin's ethnic background. So, whose decisions ultimately decided that he wasn't going to be successful? Not the artist, that's for sure.

The panelist discussed many other aspects of Asian American identity and it's role in media today but these were the few that I really wanted to comment on. Please feel free to comment or disagree on anything I said, or if you were at the panel discussion I would love to hear your thoughts!